I welcome you to your 7th grade Language Arts course. I am excited to begin our reading and writing adventure together. Remember, I am here for you. Please let me know how I can assist you this year with any areas of need. Don’t be shy to ask for help throughout the year as well.

WE ARE OFF TO A GREAT START THIS YEAR SO FAR! I AM PROUD OF YOU.

Remember, your success is my success! 🙂

Mr. DAnunzio

Remember–Quality not Quantity—Work Ethic

GOAL (long term): Try to turn in the highest quality work the first time. An assignment won’t necessarily be 100% correct the first time (or second time for that matter) it is submitted, but it must be to the best of your ability, not rushed, sloppy or completed with lack of care.

GOAL (short term): The four new rules of any graded assignment/test: let’s research, reteach, revise and return.

Research a grade that is your lowest, bring it to my attention if you need clarification on how to improve the grade on the assignment and/or reteaching of the concept(s). We can have a group or one-on-one session, depending on your particular situation and any time restraints.

Revise your work to the best of your ability. Don’t do a rewrite. Guideline: make your changes directly on your first edition and highlight/underline your changes; if you don’t follow this guideline, I will hand back the work and not accept it until you highlight/underline any changes.

Return the work to me for a revision grade (assignment grade will be higher if there is improvement in work quality and/or correctness).

I know we can work on turning in quality work. Your success is my success.

Mr. D.

CLASSWORK

We will continue to work on the computers to familiarize ourselves with programs and web sites we will be using throughout the year. Later this week, you will also be creating an “I am Poem.”

Below are some of the documents that we will be using this next week. Please feel free to click on any one of them, review, download, make copies, etc. Thank you.

If you didn’t turn in the 3rd page of your syllabus (filled out completely), please do so. It was due 8/14. You can download a copy. Just scroll up and click on ‘click here for a copy of the syllabus.’

YEAR AT A GLANCE

Quarter One: Bold Actions: In this collection, students will read literary and informational texts that explore what it means to face challenges fearlessly, even if it means failing in the attempt. In response to reading, students will have the opportunity to write an argumentative essay about the bold actions of daring individuals, the risks, and the rewards of those individuals using information found in selections from the collection. “Be bold, take courage…and be strong of soul.” – Ovid

Quarter Two: Perception and Reality: In this collection, students will read literary and informational texts that explore how things in life are not always how we perceive them to be. In response to reading, students will write an argumentative essay expressing their opinion of the saying, “Seeing is believing”, using information found in selections from the collection. “Now I do not know whether it was then I dreamt I was a butterfly, or whether I am now a butterfly dreaming I am a man.” – Chuang Tzu

Quarter Three: Risk and Exploration: In this collection, students will read literary and informational texts that consider the risks of exploration in extreme conditions and present an argument whether it is worth the costs. In response to reading, students will have the opportunity to write an argumentative speech persuading others whether major exploration is worth the risk, using information found in selections from the collection and their own research. TEDx talks will be this quarter. “All adventures, especially into new territory, are scary.” – Sally Ride

Quarter Four: Guided by a Cause. In this collection, students will read literary and informational texts that consider the question: What inspires people to act to improve their world? In response to reading, students will have the opportunity to write an informational essay about a dramatic and deadly fire that destroyed a New York City factory in 1911, using information found in selections from the collection and their own research. Research project due. “The fullness of our heart comes in our actions.” –Mother Teresa

TIPS

Use Quotes

To make your responses stronger, use quotes directly from the text to support your claims; embed your quotes directly into the paragraph where you have the relevant comment. Please refer to the following site for information. Thank you. 🙂